I don't want to see that.
Senna was some kind of mad genius behind the wheel and his status as one of, if not the greatest drivers ever is well deserved.
But since his tragic death, he seems to have gained this reputation as an almost mythical, sainted racing driver and if the generally very good documentary is to believed, a tragic underdog going up against the establishment and battling his own desperation to be the best at the cost of his own life. They really laid it on thick with that documentary. I enjoyed it, but it was very biased. I fear any film would go the same way.
F1 really did change forever the day Senna died and it was a massively pivotal moment in the sports history. Of course, that crash will be a major feature of any film much the same way as Lauda's crash was in Rush. The thing I have a problem with though is that although Niki is still around to defend James and say that he was just pushing too hard that day and that James deserved the title that year every bit as much as he did, Senna isn't here to do the same for Williams. All motorsport fans hate seeing such things happen. They shouldn't happen, especially with even at the time of Senna's death, with modern materials and manufacturing processes, but these cars are massively complex, constantly evolving machines that are placed under unbelievable forces and always on the very fringe of what's technically possible. EVen now, failures happen, accidents happen and in the case of Jules Bianchi recently, can't always be forseen. But given the demands of a script that explains everything in the time scale of any film and the need to capture none fans too, I can only see Williams coming off as villains. That just wouldn't be fair.
Rush, whilst having a great backstory, only focused on one particular year too. To tell Senna's whole story, both on and off track, in just two hours...there would just be too much missing.
One story that I would like to see on the big screen though is the 1988 Le Mans race. Porsche, the undisputed kings of Le Mans Vs Jaguar, the plucky underdog with a very different approach in one of the most brutal, cruelest and unpredictable races there is. The story of the final stint alone is worthy of any Hollywood ending, but the back story can be condensed more easily and the race weekend itself, as is always the case with Le Mans, wasn't exactly without incident either...
Or if I were to stick with F1, then I'd probably look at what Brawn GP pulled off in 2009. I know there is more to what an F1 team is than just the name, but come on...as a Hollywood script, it writes itself.
The privateer team with just 2 chassis, next to no sponsorship, a driver who had been all but written off as an 'also ran' and a car that was never designed for the engine they ended up with. A team who technically didn't exist at the start of the year, had all been made redundant and didn't have a working car for the season's first test sessions. A team that, risen from the ashes, existed for one year and one year only. A team rescued by a technical genius and design legend of the sport. A team who in that one year went on to win it all.
You got to admit, as a Hollywood film, that plot would sound every bit as unbelievable as the '76 F1 season....
SEX - Breakfast Of Champions!
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